Ice-creeper



A. M. SNDROWSKI.

ICE CREEPER.

APPLicATIoN FILED FEB.7,1920.

1,357,658, afam@ Non 29 MEQ.,

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT M. SNIDROWSKI, OF BALTIMCRE, MARYLAND.

ICE-CREEPER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed February 7, 1920. Serial No. 356,818.

To (LZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, Animar M. SNiDRowsiii, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Baltimore, State ot Maryland, have invented certain new and useful lini'irovements in ice-Creepers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in ice creeper attachments for boot and shoe 'heels and is of such plan oil construction as to be extremely duriable and etlicient iu operation and capable of being` manufactured cheaply and easily so as to meet all oli' the requirements for a successful commercial use.

rlhe principal object of the invention is to provide an ice creeper attachment of the above type which may be manufactured by a stamping and forming operation to provide an attaching band which is adjustable to lit the device to various sized heels and which is provided with a novel form of anti-slipping members.

lilith theabove general objects in view and others that will become apparent as the nature or the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing.

lu the drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a plan view of a sheet metal blank from which the present ice Creeper is formed,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the ice Creeper formed -from the blank of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially upon line III- III of Fig. 2, the heel heilig shown operatively related with the ice Creeper by dotted lines,

Fig. 4l is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon line IV-IV of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary inverted perspective view oi a portion of the ice Creeper.

Referring more in detail to the several views, the present invention embodies a one piece sheet metal ice Creeper comprising a narrow strip or band 5 which is bent to conform to the periphery of the shoe heel upon which it is adapted to be used as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said strip 5 being reduced at one end to provide a tongue 6 termal. with ratchet teeth. 'T along one edge,

and said tongue G being adapted for reception in the slot 8 formed in the other end of the strip 5, which end is bent at right angles to the breast ot the heel as shown in Fig. 2. The slot 8 issutliciently wide at one portion to permit the tree sliding movement of the tongue 6 therethrough, and when the strip has been tightly fitted to the heel, the tongue 6 is allowed to spring outwardly to its, normal position into the restricted portion 9 of the slot 8 whereby the teeth '7 engage the strip and securely retain the same on the heel. In order to additionally insure retention ot the strip on the heel, a plurality of spurs are stamped from and bent inwardly of the strip 5 as at 10 so that when the band is contracted into engagement with the heel, said spurs will dig into the heel. Obviously,the strip 5 is made of relatively heavy sheet metal which is of a` springy nature so that the same expands normally to its largest size, and when the same is contracted, any one of the teeth 7 may engage the portion of the strip adjacent the slot 8 so as to Vretain the strip 5 in any adjusted size.

ln the formation of the present device, the strip 5 is formed with a plurality of tongues 1l which project laterally from one longitudinal edge thereof in end to end contiguous relation, which tongues are bent upon the score lines 12 inwardly of the strip 5 at right angles to the latter, and each tongue is bent at right angles at its ends upon the score lines 13 so as to form substantially inverted U-shaped ground engaging spurs 14 as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The parallel legs of the Ushaped spurs let are vertically disposed and their lower free edges are adapted to engage the ground and are notched or otherwise serrated as at l5 so as to better guard against slipping.

In use, the strip 5 is slipped onto the heel of the shoe so as to surround the periphery of the latter with the tongue 6 eX- tending transversely of the heel in front or' the breast portion of the latter. The tongue 6 is pressed laterally into the wider portion of the slot 8 toward the heel, and then the sides ot the strip 5 are pressed toward each other so as to cause sliding movement of the tongue 6 through the slot 8 until the strip 5 snugly engages the periphery ot the shoe heel whereupon the tongue 5 is allowed to spring outwardly into the restricted portion l-l'of the slot 8 so as to permit the teeth 7 Vto engage the adjacent portion of the strip 5 and hold the same against expansion.

F rom the foregoing description it is loelieved that the construction and manner of use of the present invention as well as the advantages thereof will be readily understood and appreciated.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat l claim is: Y

l. A one piece sheet metal ice creeper com* prising a normally expanded resilient attaching band adapted to surround and snugly engage the periphery of a shoe heel and having inwardly projecting ground engaging spurs at its lower edge, means adj'ustably connecting the ends oii'the'attaehing band at the breast portion of the heel so as to retain the band in contracted position or to permit expanding thereof, said last named means including a ratchet tongue formed on one end of the stripV normally yieldingly pressed outwardly, and a laterally bent slotted end portion upon the other end of the strip through which said ratchet tongue passes, said last named end having afslot therein which is restricted in size at its outer side.

2. A one piece sheet metal ice Creeper com- Vprising` a normally expanded resilient attaching band adapted to surround and snugly engage the periphery of a shoe heel and having inwardly projecting ground engaging spurs at itsV lower edge, and means adjust-ably connecting the ends of the attaching band at the breast portion of the heel so as to retain the hand in Contracted position or to permit expanding thereof, said ground engaging spurs comprising inverted substantially Ll-shaped members, the legs of which have their lower free edges presented to the ground.

ln testimony whereof l ailix my signature,

ALBERT M. SNDROVVSK. 

